My Uncle George would come to our house once a week for dinner. He did this to visit his mother, my Nana. To me he was a special uncle. On one of those visits we were seated at the table and out of the blue he stated he had been born again. He proceeded to tell us of his experience of accepting Jesus Christ as his personal savior.
My mind panicked, oh no he has become a religious fanatic. He invited us to come to a service with him.
After I got over the initial shock I went to the piano and attempted to play some of my favorite hymns. I had attended church all my life, so had my uncle. After that night I would think about what he had said. I went to the piano many times after that and played hymns. Then I started reading the Bible.
We went to the service he invited us to and many more after that.
I would listen to Billy Graham on television. About a year later, during one of his crusades, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
That was just the beginning of an incredible journey that God took me on, and is still leading me on. One I had never imagined. I learned to listen to God’s voice, that still small voice.
God changed me from an introvert to an extrovert. He changed me from living in fear of what others thought about me to walking by faith trusting in Him.
I say this because God has been gracious to me, and I hope others can accept his love and graciousness.
All the years I attended church I heard about God the Father, Jesus Christ, and occasionally the Holy Spirit. I never heard that you must be born again.
What did Jesus say about this? John 3:1-15 (NASB 1995) records the conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus.
“3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; 2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these [a]signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born [b]again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus *said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born [c]again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. 12 If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. 14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that whoever [d]believes will in Him have eternal life.”
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary there are many definitions of believe. They basically mean the same thing. I like the following:
“A : to accept something as true, genuine, or real
B : to have a firm or wholehearted religious conviction or persuasion : to regard the existence of God as a fact”
Have you been born again? Do you want to be born again?
To accept Jesus Christ as your savior, pray a simple prayer like:
Lord Jesus forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart and life I give it to you. By the power of the Holy Spirit, I choose to walk in newness of life with You. Let Your Holy Spirit guide and lead me from this time forward.
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